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Canadians are role models in Afghanistan mission: MacKay

Canada's Governor General David Johnston lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with his wife Sharon Johnston while Silver Cross Mother Roxanne Priede looks on at the National War Memorial on Remembrance Day in Ottawa November 11.Photo: REUTERS/Patrick Doyle

Perhaps the greatest respect we can pay to our veterans is to continue their good work — putting on a uniform and protecting and projecting Canadian values, just as Canadians continue to do in Afghanistan, National Defence Minister Peter MacKay said from the embattled country on Remembrance Day.

“There’s a lot to show for their sacrifice. We of course gave 158 lives, and many more ill and injured, in that pursuit of a more stable and hopefully more prosperous, lasting stable country,” MacKay said of Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan.

Canada has largely focused on training since its combat mission ended, with some 900 members of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan as part of the NATO mission to train instructors for the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.

On Sunday, MacKay visited four training locations and met with hundreds of soldiers, he said. This gave him a great “bird’s eye view” of how much progress has been made, he added.

The Canadian Forces are still on track to withdraw by 2014, MacKay said. Three out of four of the soldiers or police in Afghanistan today are Afghans themselves, and there are now close to 350,000 Afghan National Security Forces, MacKay said.

The defence minister also spoke with NATO’s training mission Afghanistan commander, Lieutenant-General Daniel Bolger, who was “effusive” in his praise of Canada’s contributions, MacKay said.

“He described Canadians in a very glowing term as role models for the mission – not only for Afghans, but for the way in which Canadian solders conduct themselves in working with other nations, working selflessly to connect with the Afghan soldiers, and really leading by example,” MacKay said.

Canada is “very blessed” to have its citizens serving their country so valiantly in Afghanistan, MacKay said.

“That is perhaps the greatest respect that we can pay to the previous generation of Canadians — to continue their good work. They truly stand on the shoulders of giants in their continuing legacy here in Afghanistan and other places around the world where they work.”